Sunday, 29 January 2017

Seven derrieres of a Thames sailing barge...

As barge hulls and maintenance go the old iron pots may have fared the ravages of time better than the wooden barges. But that's not to say the enthusiasm for wooden barges has waned. Far from it, the maintenance for both materials is constant and ongoing and a fair few i.e Cambria, Dawn and Thallatta have been completely restored in recent years and are sailing in as good-as-new condition today as they were a hundred or so years ago. However, with around 30 barges still actively sailing today, for the layman a barge can appear to look like every other barge.

Below is a series of seven photos taken at a barge gathering in London's Docklands last summer. It's clear to see from simply looking at one part a barge how much in fact barges differ. Everyone has there own preference and I will admit, of the seven in this selection, to being a fan of the broad, hollow and shapely transoms like wooden barge, Edme - built in 1898 by Cann in Harwich.
Edme is another wooden barge to undergo extensive restoration in recent years.

2 comments:

I vote for Marjory (I think that's her name?). I like the subtle form, just the hint of curve. Very nice. Now I have to qualify, being from the Land Down under I've never actually seen one in the flesh. Nice post .

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